Microbes play crucial roles in global carbon cycles, particularly in peatland ecosystems that store vast quantities of carbon. Boreal peatlands are under stress from commercial extraction of peat, drainage for conversion to forestry and agricultural lands, and climate change. In this study, we identify key microbial groups and their ecological functions across peatland depth profiles and provide insight into how environmental changes related to water table may alter microbial communities. We examined the diversity and composition of prokaryotic communities across a microtopographic hummock–hollow gradient using Illumina sequencing. Communities formed a gradient of species and functional groups with depth, with overlap in functional groups at lower layers of hummocks and upper layers of hollows. Yet, overall, we found significantly different prokaryotic communities in hollows than hummocks. Surfaces of hummocks were typified by aerobic chemoorganotrophs, methanotrophs and chemoheterotrophs, mid-depths were typified by aerobic chemoorganotrophs, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and anaerobic nitrate reducers, while lower depths in hollows were typified by anaerobic and facultative anaerobic chemoorganotrophs, nitrate reducers and methanogenic archaea. Microbial composition as a function of hydrology and moisture regimes suggests that environmental changes that alter hydrological regimes (e.g., climate change, peatland draining) may alter carbon and nutrient cycling regimes.

微生物在全球碳循环中起着至关重要的作用，尤其是在储存大量碳的泥炭地生态系统中。北方泥炭地承受着商业开采泥炭，排水转换为林业和农业用地以及气候变化的压力。在这项研究中，我们确定了整个泥炭地深度剖面中的关键微生物群及其生态功能，并深入了解了与地下水位相关的环境变化如何改变微生物群落。我们使用Illumina测序技术研究了整个微地形山岗-空心梯度上原核生物群落的多样性和组成。群落形成了具有一定深度的物种和功能组的梯度，在山岗的下层和中空的上层的功能组重叠。但是总体而言 我们发现在空心洞中的原核生物群落与在山岗上的生物截然不同。浮床的表面以好氧的化学有机营养体，甲烷营养体和化学营养体为代表，中层深度以有氧的化学有机营养体，固氮细菌和厌氧硝酸盐还原剂为代表，而空心的较低深度以厌氧和兼性厌氧化学厌氧和兼性厌氧化学为代表。微生物组成随水文学和水分状况的变化表明，改变水文学状况的环境变化（例如，气候变化，泥炭地排水）可能会改变碳和养分循环状况。中等深度的有氧化学需氧菌，固氮菌和厌氧硝酸盐还原剂为代表，而空心的较低深度则为厌氧和兼性厌氧性有机营养素，硝酸盐还原剂和产甲烷古菌。微生物组成随水文学和水分状况的变化表明，改变水文学状况的环境变化（例如，气候变化，泥炭地排水）可能会改变碳和养分循环状况。中等深度的有氧化学需氧菌，固氮菌和厌氧硝酸盐还原剂为代表，而空心的较低深度则为厌氧和兼性厌氧性有机营养素，硝酸盐还原剂和产甲烷古菌。微生物组成随水文学和水分状况的变化表明，改变水文学状况的环境变化（例如，气候变化，泥炭地排水）可能会改变碳和养分循环状况。